Read chapter in full: www.biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Ecclesiastes+012

 

Ecclesiastes 12 (ESV)

1Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; ² before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, …

⁷ and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. ⁸ Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity…

¹³ The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. ¹⁴ For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

 

REFLECTION:

1. Ecclesiastes tells us: Without the spirit given by God, our body is nothing but dust; without God’s will, our work will be useless; without God’s love, our ministry will be in vain. We must put God first in everything we do and keep God as the center, because without God there is nothing. A God-centered life is bound to be fulfilling. Even when the “evil days” come, that is, when one cannot enjoy life due to disability or illness in old age, there is still satisfaction because of the hope of eternal life. Young age is beautiful, but if young people just enjoy the pleasure of a moment and abandon things of eternal value, the vitality of youth can also become an obstacle to getting close to God. Consecrate yourself to God while you are still young and strong. Don’t waste your youth on evil and vain activities, and fall into bad habits that make you insensitive. Start trying to seek God now!
2. In the conclusion of the book, Solomon once again warned those who have lost their purpose and direction in life to fear God and obey God’s commandments; to exhort those who believe that life is full of injustices, and remember that God will examine our life. We admit that the world is full of evil, ignorance, and unfairness, but we still have to live our lives with a positive attitude and have strong faith in God. Everyone will stand before God’s judgment seat and be judged for what we have done in our life. We cannot use the ups and downs of life as an excuse for living a frivolous or passive life. To live an upright life, we must (1) admit that all human efforts are futile if we leave God; (2) put God in the first place now; (3) receive the good and perfect gifts from God; (4) know that God will judge all good and evil.

 

PRAYER:

Pray to God for your relatives and friends who have lost their direction in life. Ask God to work through you so that they can know God and reorganize their life direction, seek the value of God’s kingdom, and receive the blessing of eternal life. Ask God to give you the heart to love your neighbour as yourself, willing to sacrifice yourself and be a precious vessel of God in preaching the gospel of repentance.

 

HYMN:

 

My Worth Is Not In What I Own – https://youtu.be/05jKxv8ApuI